El Niño Deals 'Devastating Blow' to Peru's Anchovy Industry as 122,000 Jobs Seen Lost

Peru's National Fisheries Society (SNP) said El Niño-driven warming — sea-surface temperatures up to 6°C above normal in some areas — has crushed the country's anchovy catch, with May 2026 landings of just 32,800 metric tons versus 1.3 million tons in May 2025. Fishing's contribution to Peru's GDP fell to an estimated 1.1% in 2026 from 2.1% in 2025. SNP president Jessica Luna said the industry, which normally generates 250,000 jobs, is projected to lose 122,000 of them by next year, calling it 'a devastating blow to the sector.' Displaced fishermen in Chimbote and Callao described shifting into public transport, construction, and mining work as anchovy stocks stay dispersed in cooler, deeper water.